Far from sight lay a little city called Howelbr, a city rejected by kings and cursed by the gods—or so the tales claimed. For centuries its name had been whispered with dread, its walls described as haunted, its soil called barren. Travelers spoke of its air as foul, its people twisted by misfortune, and its streets drowned in shadows where no god dared walk. So deep was its stain upon memory that even those who ruled nearby would not glance toward it. No man outside the city would lay eyes upon it, let alone his feet. Howelbr had been abandoned to myth, forgotten, though it sat between the two greatest powers of the age: Greece and Rome.
But in the reign of King Hector I of Greece and Emperor Gladius of Rome, the silence was broken. A traveler named Dorian of Thessaly, a Greek wanderer whose hunger for discovery often drew him where others feared to tread, ventured forth despite the whispers of fearful men. Though many Greeks spoke of Howelbr only in whispers, dismissing it as a place cursed by the gods, Dorian had always doubted old tales. He was a son of Greece, from the same lands that gave birth to Mycenae and Athens, and he trusted his own eyes above the voices of fearful men.
High upon the rocky hill of Mycenae, the citadel rose like a crown of stone. Its Cyclopean walls,vast blocks fitted without mortar,loomed with a strength that had defied centuries. Entry came only through the Lion Gate, where two carved beasts reared above a single pillar, guardians of the power within.
Beyond it, narrow passages twisted upward until the heart of the fortress revealed itself: the palace. At its center lay the megaron, the great hall of the wanax. Painted columns, red as fire and black as night, supported the high roof. Frescoed walls gleamed with lions, chariots, and spirals. A broad hearth burned at the hall's core, smoke drifting toward the vent above, while benches and low tables awaited nobles soon to gather.
The citadel hummed with life: servants darting through storerooms of oil and wine, smiths hammering bronze in the armory, courtyards ringing with hooves and the cries of warriors at practice. From its height, Mycenae commanded the valley a sweep of olive groves, vineyards, and roads stretching to distant coasts. Here, kings had ruled for generations. And here, Hector I prepared to summon his council.
Very soon the kingsmen arrived, not knowing what the reason for an urgent council was, the five of them walked in and saw the famous traveler Dorian sitting on the left side of the high table where the kings and kingmen hold councils, this made them even more unsettled, on the throne of glittering jewels that litted the whole room with reflections of noon was king HECTOR I with an expression that almost seemed like a smirk. they all sat and awaited the king's word , dorian spoke instead with awe, dusk upon his cloak and wonder in his eyes " I rode here with all the power from my horse my lords " with confusion EURIPHEUS who is the senior kingman and closer to the king said " and so did we all but how does that justify any of this?"
"be patient EURIPHEUS " said king hector l
" Far beyond the familiar valleys of Mycenae, my lords, I found a city risen from the earth a city not of decay, but of splendor."
"what is this blabber ?" said THERON the second kingsman " if this was a blabb ,do you think the king would have called a council ?" said philemon, the third kingsman, without any word ,thier facial expression has adjusted with understanding, " my lords ,I am talking about the acclaimed cursed city, Howelbr " said Dorian "Howelbr?" asked ,nikandros, another kingsman
"for it is wrong but understandable that a man in the same council with the king does not know about the cursed land" said philemon
" it is acceptable because that name has not been mentioned in centuries " said THERON
"your lackadaisical character proceeds you my lord, perhaps you should read more books more than you birthed children" said MENANDROS , the kingsmen laughed "silence " said the king "this is more important than your jests, proceed ser dorian".
For Howelbr, long cursed, had shed its ruin. The barren fields now shimmered with golden barley and swayed with the silver leaves of olive groves. Fig orchards perfumed the air, and vineyards stretched across the hills like rivers of green, their fruit heavy and sweet. Herds of cattle grazed in pastures, and flocks of sheep rolled over the meadows like drifting clouds. Even horses sleek, powerful, and proud stamped the earth, bred for both chariots and trade.
Its markets burst with life, cloth dyed in colors richer than the Aegean at dusk, ornaments of bronze and ivory that caught the sun, and garments woven with artistry unseen in any court. The people themselves, once thought twisted by curse, were striking tall, graceful, adorned with the very fashion their city had mastered. Their laughter filled the air like music, their skin bronzed by the labor of fruitful lands, and their homes painted with frescoes that rivaled Rome's.
Though they lacked armies and the strength of warriors, their greatest shield was their anonymity. For while kings and emperors turned their eyes elsewhere, Howelbr flourished unseen. Hidden between the might of Greece and Rome, the city had become a jewel no hand had claimed, a treasure protected by its own forgotten name.
And now, with the curse broken and its glory revealed, the fate of Howelbr hung in the balance for those who knew of it would not forget again.
The kingsmen were in awe, for they have never heard of such mystical twist "this is far beyond my imagination " said nikandros "well you don't say " said THERON followed with a laugh "but how are sure this isn't made up?" asked MENANDROS.
" my lords , my name is Dorian of thessaly , I am the best and most famous traveler in the whole of greece, my informant has never failed me my lords "
" well, for the good of Dorian of thessaly, you better be right " said lycomedes and this brought up a little silence before Theron said "I don't believe him but he has no reason to lie "
"yes although this sounds like a very made up fantasy but still see no reason he would lie to us and even your king " said philemon, they all looked intrigued and amazed by the story and thier faces downed in doubts, not knowing if this true or not.
"my lords , I know it's hard to believe but perhaps you can see for yourself " said Dorian
"and how did you manage to get into this city ser Dorian " said MENANDROS "my lord I have been a traveler for decades, I have wandered where no humans have set thier sight upon, I have climbed mountains, walked valleys, rode seas, swam lakes, surely getting into an unarmed city will not be a thing of an issue to my profession" said dorian, with a nod of agreement, MENANDROS said "well said but we are men of curiosity, curiosity killed the cat but we are no cats, for we are the kingsmen of the great kingdom, we have skilled our way through the most imperceptible things, so forgive us if we find this unfathomable " , the whole council nods in agreement,
"my good lord, the art of the wise is silence " said Dorian, philemon chuckled and said " you jest me ser Dorian but perhaps you are right but shall I remind you who you're standing before ? Hector, first of his name the breaker of chains, the wisdom of the council, the conqueror whose spear has never bent, whose words weigh heavier than bronze. He, the keeper of the citadel and guardian of the people, favored of the gods, whose wealth flows like rivers, whose name alone silences foes, you deny him of this information, perhaps you shouldn't be-" , "ENOUGH, philemon " interrupted by the king, "for we are not here to speak of glory but here as men with the interest of the kingdom "
"forgive me my lord but this man is not here of interest of this kingdom but of interest for himself" said THERON "what do you mean ?" asked,the king, " for There's no man in this kingdom that knows wealth more than I do, I can sense when a man is after wealth , my king , he his doing this in Hopes to get rewarded my LORD" , " does this not deserve a reward my lords?" said dorian " it does , but the kingdom comes first but not to you apparently " said EURIPHEUS
"for this is my job and how I have survived, how I have managed to provide for my family and relations" said Dorian , the king coughed of interruption and said " THERON, you know we have come this far by knowing when to use money and when to not, with your wisdom , what does this situation requires?", " we could force the-" , "money my lord, this requires money " THERON immediately brutally interrupted Nikandros, for THERON was the richest man in the kingdom, so rich that his wealth is measured with the kings , he owned a vast amount of land and whole city in Greece under his own name , if there's anyone who knows about money , it is him. "very well , then shall we reward him?" asked the king "yes my lord" the kingsmen replied in unity, "what is it that thou seek?" asked philemon " I want a third of the new city once it is captured " said Dorian, the kingsmen burst of laughter " oh you jest me so much ser" said philemon , "do you have a death wish ?" asked MENANDROS as they continued to laugh, "THEN, you shall have it " said the king , the kingsmen laughter was overshadowed by shock "my lord , what- "I swear on my throne you shall have , you shall also have your head if any of the description was false, down to the last detail" the king said interrupting EURIPHEUS. they all replied "MY LORD" for the king has made his decision, the council was dismissed as the king rose and left for his chambers and dorian left with a smile on his face and the kingsmen in disbelief.